Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1887-06-01
WOOED, BUT NOT Welded.
4 Sweetheart Perjures Herself and
Seeks Repentance in u Convent.

4 Sweetheart Perures Herself and
Seeks Repentance in u Convent.
In the Fall of 184S L was sent out as
,uper-cargo of vessel laden with
iour and other provisions for the relief
Of the starving people CT ireland. The
ship was frelghted for the city OF
Limerick, but, after my duty was
discharged. 1 still fingered in the
vicinity.
In my travels through the country 1
became acquainted with family who
had been comparatively well off until
the total failure of successive crops had
poverty as their neighbors. There
were an older brother and sister and
several smaller children. They were
orphans, but Timothy Delaney had
supplied his fathers place as well as he
could, and had kept the family to-
gether. He was genial, open-hearted
fellow; fond of fun and frollc, like most
of his countrymen, and carrying their
proyerbial honesty almost to an excess.
Allen, or Ely Delaney was one OF
the most beautiful girls ever beheld;
and it was not long before 1 discovered
that her beauty had gained for her the
best match in the parish-a young
farmer, well-to-do in the world, and a
handsome fellow to boot. Neverthe-
less, her engagement did not meet the
approval of her brother, of which i was
apprlsed one evening when called at
the cottage.
"He's wake as runnin' wather," said
Timothy. "Sure it's to shame an
heart break he'll bring ye, Ely, yit :"
Elly's beautiful dark blue eyes filled
with tears and her lips trembled.
''Oh, vo, vo, Tim, ashore, It's the
hard word ye put on the poor boy that's
promised me, an before his honor, too.
AM sure, it's for nothln' at all but
the bad name he's got from the agint.
1.-The agint's nothin' to do wild it,
Ely. Sure, now, his honor's honor
knows it's not the word Nv a Sas-
senach land agInt I'd be afther takin'
agin my own sisters husband that's
to be. But We know yerself, Ely,
machree, that he's turned his back on
the priest and his duty, an he's got in
wild thin that'll lade him TO the ropes
ind, an our honest name that nivir had
the laste taste o. dirt thrown on it ull
be dragged through the mud by him. :"
"That It'll niver, niver be! It's
little ye know Michael O'Connor, when
ye spake that word"
"An' how we'll do yez know himp
Do yeZ know where he was yestreen?
Or where he'll be at Shrovetide2"
Ely was silent.
Thin it's mesilf will tell yez. lilly,
alanna, though it hurts me to the mid
die o. my heart to give ye the hard
word. STEAD o. bein' an his knees
forninst the priest like good Christian,
it's out wild the boys he'll be that night,
an inside the doors o. the county Jail
mayhap fore mornin'."
"He will net, he will notl" cried the
girl passionately. "IIe's promised to
meet me at the blackthorn tree nigh
hand the chapel. an 60 Wild me to
confession an to the holy communion
Ash Wednesday mornin'. an sure 1t
isn't wild the black dhrop in his heart
he'd be goin' to his duty"
L "
Ely, ashore, and maybe yez may save
him yit: but I'll tell We agin it's into
bad hans he's got, an he's wake as
wather."
On the evening of Shrove Tuesday,
as 1 was riding along the road that
led by the little Catholic chapel, saw
lonely figure. dressed in the short
scarlet petticoat and mantle commonly
worn by the women OF the west coast.
crouching under huge old blackthorn
tree by the roadside.
"There is Ely waiting for her
lover" 1 thought. ~ hope he will
prove true to his tryst."
Next morning l was reused by the
gossoon belonging to the inn entering
my room and telling me "there was
one beyant waitin' to have spache wild
me av l plased." Upon going out l
found Tim Delaney, who told me the
obnox Gus agent had been murdered in
his bed the night before; that several
OF the ''boys" In the neighborhood had
been "reshtei" on suspicion, and that
Michael O'Connor was among them.
'.Peor Eilyl how does she bear it?"
was my first question.
''Indade, an that's list what l can't
tell, yer honor. May niver slape in
glory av know what to make NV the
colleen. Sure, it's loike a stock or a
stone she's sittin' iver since widout a
werd to fling at dog."
But" said /, "O'Connor was to
meet Ely last evening and 60 with
her to chapel. Did he do SOP and how
long were they togetherY"
s'Sorra one o. me knows. 1 KEN
home airly from chapel meself, an
went straight to bed. Pehone! It's
black, black me heart is an scalded
wild the hot tears for me poor Eily!"
Don't give up, Tim, my pan. II
your sister can prove O'ConnOr was
with her, he's all right. What time
was the murder discovered?"
about tin, as Pm towld, yer
honor. The agint's wife wint to his
room an there she found him stritched
stiff."
Could Ely prove O'Connor's inno-
cence? No one knew nor could any
one gain the least intelligence from her.
Upon everything connected with her
lover she remained Obstinately silent,
and no questioning would induce her
to admit or deny any knowledge of his
actions on that night.
The day of the ttial came and the
courtroom and yard around 1t were
crowded to suffocation. = Two Of the
men were convicted without any diff
Guilty and sentenced to be hanged in
three days. Michael O'Connor was